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A slight change to school lunchrooms to make fruits and vegetables more appealing and accessible improved fruit and vegetable consumption among high-school students by 18% and 25%, respectively, a study in The Journal of Pediatrics showed. The findings were based on students in two high schools in New York state.

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Students nationwide are consuming more fruits and vegetables in school under the Smarter Lunchrooms program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The program endorses behavioral psychology techniques, such as renaming dishes and moving fruit to the beginning and end of the cafeteria line, which have been proven to increase consumption.

In New York City, where the rate of childhood obesity has dropped by 5.5% in the past five years, nutrition education is part of the core academic curriculum at some schools. Under the CookShop program -- established by The Food Bank For New York City -- 35,000 children and their families learn about cooking, nutrition and the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables through hands-on lessons.

Placing fruit in a colorful bowl and prominently displaying it increased school-lunch sales of fruit by 104%, according to researchers with the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement at Cornell University. The Cornell team was led by professor Brian Wansink and was supported by White House chef Sam Kass and the federal "Let's Move" campaign. They studied school-lunchroom designs and suggested low-cost changes that encourage students to choose healthy foods.

Placing fruit in a colorful bowl and prominently displaying it increased school-lunch sales of fruit by 104%, according to researchers with the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement at Cornell University. The Cornell team was led by professor Brian Wansink and was supported by White House chef Sam Kass and the federal "Let's Move" campaign. They studied school-lunchroom designs and suggested low-cost changes that encourage students to choose healthy foods.

Placing fruit in a colorful bowl and prominently displaying it increased school-lunch sales of fruit by 104%, according to researchers with the Smarter Lunchrooms Movement at Cornell University. The Cornell team was led by professor Brian Wansink and was supported by White House chef Sam Kass and the federal "Let's Move" campaign. They studied school-lunchroom designs and suggested low-cost changes that encourage students to choose healthy foods.